Government slammed for creating extra costs for nuclear plant firms
The power plant at Leibstadt is one of five nuclear reactors in Switzerland. Nuclear energy accounts for about 40% of Swiss energy production.
Keystone/Alessandro Della Bella
The operators of Switzerland’s nuclear power plants have strongly criticised a reform of regulations on decommissioning and waste disposal funds.
The reform, due to take effect at the beginning of January next year, includes a reduced yield of the two funds but also does away with a 30% safety margin. The companies affected said the reform will have far-reaching consequences and lead to additional costs for the three operating companies.
“It will tie up funds for decades as well as marginalise the operators in the fund management bodies,” said AlpiqExternal link in a statement.
The company AxpoExternal link said the money will be lacking for investments in the planned restructuring of the Swiss energy supply.
BKW/FMBExternal link, which operates a plant outside the Swiss capital Bern that will be taken off the grid next month, said the government decision was damaging the Swiss economy and threatened to take legal measures.
All three companies argue the extra costs will be in the tens of millions of francs range. The government put the figure at CHF88 million (CHF89 million) per year for each company.
The energy ministry last year announced that the costs of decommissioning the nuclear plants and dealing with radioactive waste will be more than CHF1 billion above previous estimates.
The two funds were set up in 1984 and are aimed at covering the costs of decommissioning and dismantling nuclear power plants at the end of their useful life, together with the costs of disposal of the waste.
The owners of the five nuclear reactors as well as the central intermediate radioactive waste repository are required to pay contributions.
More
More
Last stop for nuclear waste before burial
This content was published on
Until it can be finally stored underground, radioactive waste must be kept in interim storage for 30 to 40 years until it has cooled down enough. For low- and medium-level waste, an interim storage facility can bridge the time gap until the commissioning of a deep geological repository. Treatment plants are available for preparing the…
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Swiss cinemas report drop in admissions in first half of 2024
This content was published on
The decline in cinema-goers has continued so far this year. Swiss films and smaller cinemas are holding up better than big US productions and multiplex.
Spread of Japanese beetle leads to lawn-watering bans in Basel
This content was published on
Basel City authorities have extended an infestation zone with strict guidelines to a good third of the canton’s territory.
Bad weather forces closure of many Swiss hiking trails
This content was published on
Some 620 trails are still closed due to the extreme weather this summer, with the canton of Valais particularly hard hit.
This content was published on
The two cities have beaten off Zurich and Bern to make it onto the shortlist to host the Europe-wide singing extravaganza next May.
This content was published on
Construction expenditure rose by 0.3% last year in nominal terms, but the price-adjusted situation reveals a 2.5% drop, statistics show.
Another body found in southern Switzerland after June storms
This content was published on
The body found in the Maggia river in Ticino on Thursday is “likely” to be the sixth victim of storms last month, police said.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
The end of a Swiss nuclear power plant
This content was published on
Ahead of a vote calling for 45 year limits to nuclear power plants, we look at what dismantling a nuclear power plant involves.
This content was published on
The agency running the canton Bern plant told Swiss public television that it wants to have the treatment facility up and running by 2025, and treating the radioactive waste for the following 30 years. But a spokesperson would not reveal how much it would cost, how big it would be or where it will be…
This content was published on
Banning construction of nuclear power plants and limiting to 45 years the use of existing ones: that's an issue before Swiss voters in November.
This content was published on
Energy Minister Doris Leuthard said the country’s five nuclear power stations would not be replaced when they reach the end of their lifespan. The government’s recommendation on Wednesday will now be discussed by parliament at the beginning of June and a final decision is expected in the middle of June. Leuthard said the government was going on…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.